Bound Together
by LucytheFallenAngel
Summary: This is the story of Scarlet Lewis. The weird, but oddly charming young girl, who's whole life was turned upside down and thrown out of orbit. All because of a single, solitary letter she received at the age of 11.
1. Prologue- The Beginning

It was a crisp, autumn day in October. The leaves on the trees a bright, burning orange. The ground was littered with dead leaves and debris. Swirling and fluttering around the woman's feet in the evening breeze as she hurried on down the sidewalk, her shoes clicking in the silence. In her arms she carried a tightly wrapped bundle of blue and purple blankets. Looking around as if frightened of something, or someone, she hurried on through the piles of dead leaves. Ten minutes had passed, and she left behind the collection of pristine houses, with their manicured lawns and gleaming windows, and came upon the more desolate, rundown houses, with their unkempt lawns, and grimy windows.

After several minutes of the dreary landscape, the woman came upon a house slightly larger than the others at the end of a long drive. The wide front lawn, encircled by a wrought iron fence, looked better than the other lawns surrounding it. That is, only slightly. The grass, though short as it was, was completely dried and dead. A few patches of dirt here and there suggested that there had once been gardens teeming with flowers, long since dead. As the woman opened the gate, overcome with rust, it let out a long wailing screech. Startled, she almost dropped the bundle, but thankfully kept ahold of it. On she walked, up the drive towards the front doors, noticing a few desolate objects, that upon closer inspection, were in fact toys, scattered around the lawn. Stepping up to the front door, she looked behind her, searching the dead landscape, looking for any sign of life. Making sure that she had not been followed. After a moment, she turned back around and rapped hard on the door. Seconds later, she heard footsteps approach from the other side, and a young, timid, mousy looking girl answered. Peering around the door, she asked in a small voice, "May I help you?" And without giving a reply, the woman shoved the bundle of blankets into the girls arms, turned on her heel, and vanished into thin air.


	2. Chapter 1- The Missing Keys

Sunlight streamed in through the little girls window, softly lighting up the blue and white walls, making them dance with  
color.

In the corner of the room, opposite the one with the door, sat white bunk bed. The top bunk had a curtain hanging from the  
ceiling, forming a tent like structure. On the bottom bunk lay a small child of about five.

The quiet of the room was disrupted when a smart dressed woman in her mid twenties walked into the room and strode towards  
the little girls bed. Wrenching open the lilac drapes the woman turned to the bed and in a singsong voice called out,  
"Wakey wakey Scar baby. It's breakfast tiiiime. You don't want to be late for your first day of school, do you?"

Slowly the child in the bed stirred, before sitting up and wiping the sleep from her eyes. She looked up at her mother and  
grinned. "No mum, of course not. Can I wear my green overalls instead of the blue?"

Scarlet's mother laughed. "Of course you can sweetheart. Now hurry on downstairs, breakfast is getting cold."

Scarlet grinned, throwing back the covers she jumped out of bed, gave her mom a quick hug, and bolted down the stairs,  
passing her older brother Dominiq on the way down.

"Dad says no running down the stairs!" Dominiq called after her.

"I'm not running, I'm hopping!" Scarlet giggled as she began hopping down the stairs. She looked back at her brother,  
sticking her tongue out and making a raspberry noise. As she turned back around, a pair of strong, tan arms wrapped  
themselves around her torso, picking her up and spinning her around in circles.

"Ahhh! Daddy! Put me down! Mommy says I'm going to be late for school."

Laughing, Scarlet's father set her down in her seat, where a plate of eggs and toast awaited her. Wolfing down her food,  
Scarlet watched as her father frantically searched the kitchen and living room for something.

"What's wrong daddy?"

"Oh nothing sweetheart, I just seem to have misplaced my keys. If I don't get going soon, we'll both be late." Pausing,  
he called up the stairs to his wife, "Honey?"

"Yes Derek?" She replied, poking her head around the corner.

"Have you seen my keys? I can't find them. They were on the kitche counter just a moment ago." He scratched his head.  
"It's like they've vanished."

Monica sighed, shaking her head at her husband. He was forever losing things. Last week he misplaced his wallet and found  
it in the medicine cabinet in the guest bathroom three days later. Two weeks prior, he lost the tv remote and found it the  
next morning at work in his briefcase. Smiling to herself, she walked downstairs.

"Maybe you accidentally put them in the fridge, or the dishwasher or something. Or maybe you left them in your jacket  
pocket? There was a slight chill last night, remember?" She walked towards the fridge, planting a kiss on first Scarlet's  
head, then Dominiq's as she passed them.

"But I already checked in the fridge, I even looked in the egg container!" Derek looked exasperated.

"Maybe you cooked them in my eggs and I ate them!" Piped up Scarlet, grinning like a madman.

"You can't cook keys into eggs you git, that's not how it works." Dominiq rolled his eyes.

"Dom, no name calling at the breakfast table!" His mother chided him, before opening the fridge to search its contents  
for her husbands keys.

"She started it." Dominiq mumbled as Scarlet stuck her tongue out at her brother.

Picking up the egg container, Monica called out triumphant, "I found your keys honey! They were behind the eggs and in  
front of the milk." She held them up and handed them to her dumbfounded husband.

Spluttering, he took the keys from his wife. "But- but how? I just looked in there?"

Laughing, Monica picked up a still grinning Scarlet and headed upstairs to get her ready for school.


	3. Chapter 2- Scarlet's 8th Birthday

Broken fragments of sunlight streamed in through the open window, alighting upon the still figure laying in bed in the corner.  
The twittering of birds and the crisp autumn air filtered in along with the sunlight. Slowly the bedroom door opposite the bed  
slowly creaked open and three figures silently crept into the room.

Suddenly, the smallest of the three sprinted towards the bed, jumping on the sleeping figure and screaming,

"Happy Birthday Scarlet!" Dominiq bounced up and down a few times, tickling Scarlet before she shoved him off the bed with  
her feet.

She sat up, stretching and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Good morning to you to, booger brains."

Dominiq jumped up off the floor and blew a raspberry at his younger sister. "You're the one with the booger for a brain."

"Now Dom, be nice to your sister, it is her birthday today." Their mother chided, stepping over to the bed and planting a kiss  
on Scarlet's forehead. "Good morning sweeheart, and happy birthday."

"But mum, she started it!"

"Did not!" Scarlet stuck her tongue out at her brother as he set cross-legged on the floor.

"Come on kids, save the antics for later. Scar, your birthday breakfast is getting cold." Her father said.

It was then that Scarlet noticed the enticing scent of pancakes and bacon wafting up the stairs. Squealing, she jumped out of  
bed, hugged her parents and sprinted down the stairs and into the kitchen.

After wolfing down a delicious breakfast of red velvet pancakes, her favorite, and bacon, Scarlet headed outside and towards  
the woods that surrounded the back of the neighborhood. A moment later, Dominiq came out the door, sprinting to catch up.

"Mum said not to stay out too long cause we have to get the house decorated for your party soon. And she also said not to go  
in too far."

Scarlet grinned, as she stopped to sit under a massive oak tree; it's gnarled roots tangled together, fighting to clear the  
earth. The knobby bough had many handholds and footholds to climb up into its twisted, sprawling branches, which is exactly  
what Scarlet did. Sitting on the lowest branch ten feet off the ground, she stared down at her brother.

"Don't worry, this is as far as I go. Although..." Scarlet sat in thought for a moment. "Since you're here with me, could we  
maybe go in a little farther?" She begged with puppy dog eyes.

The sunlight peeking through the canopy above threw dancing shadows across her brothers face as he looked back towards the  
house, then at Scarlet again.

This part of the woods she was talking about, the Old Wood as Scarlet called it- for its many gigantic, old trees, much like  
the one she was in, still had vibrant green leaves upon the branches, despite it being the middle of October.

After a moments thought, Dom looked up at his sister and opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by his mothers yell.

"Dominiq! Scarlet! Your Aunt Deeliah is here!"

Scarlet gasped, jumping down from the tree and landing nimbly by her brother. He opened his mouth to ask her how she does  
that, but decided against it. He learned a long time ago not to question Scarlet about the weird things that happened around  
her.

"I wonder if she's brought us aything. Where did she go again?" Scarlet questioned as they began walking back to the house.

"She went somewhere deep in the Amazon forest where cavemen live!" Dominiq answered as they hurried through the woods. Their  
Aunt Deeliah was a traveler who went to many exotic places, (although, anywhere outside the kids hometown was exotic to them)  
and often times she brought back small gifts for them.

Scarlet turned to her brother. "But, there aren't any caves in the forest that can fit cavemen. Plus cavemen aren't alive  
anymore." Scarlet stated.

"No you git, cavemen really do live in the jungle. That's who DeeDee is visiting, remember? She said that there was a  
dangerous group of cavemen that she's been visiting for a long time now, and they finally trust her enough to let her see  
the inside of the village." Opening the back door as he said this, Dominiq and Scarlet run into their aunt as she was coming  
out to find them.

"Aunt DeeDee!" Scarlet squealed, hugging her aunt hard. "Did you bring us anything from the cavemen in the jungle forest?"

Her aunt laughed as she pulled back from the hug.

"Well first of all, cavemen don't live in the Amazon Forest. They're groups of people who live in the forest. We call them  
indigenous peoples. Some are friendly, some aren't. And some we call the Uncontacted because we have yet to make contact with  
them because they refuse to make contact with us. Technically the cavemen you're thinking of don't exist anymore.  
Second, of course I did!" Deeliah turned and reached into the messenger bag slung over her shoulder and pulled out a simple  
black wooden box. "Happy birthday my little jelly bean."

Opening the black box, Scarlet gasped in wonder. Nestled inside was a ring. The small black gemstone was set in intricate  
gold filigree. The stone itself was black background with an explosive array of bright color.

"Oh thank you! Thank you!" Scarlet put the ring on.

"I bartered it off of an old woman in the village. From what I could gather, it was left behind by someone who first visited  
the tribe about a century ago. Probably the wife of some rich explorer who didn't even notice it was missing. The people in  
the village believed that it was left by a powerful goddess and that anyone with a pure heart who possessed it, their  
deepest wish would come true. Or so the legend goes." Deeliah finished with a grin and a wink.

Scarlet's face was filled with awe as she grinned back up at her aunt.

"Hey! Do I get any magical rings?" Dominiq piped up from the corner.

"Well no," Dom looked down, upset. "But I do have something else for my handsome explorer." Deeliah pulled an oddly shaped  
package out from behind the entryway table and handed it to him.

Dominiq took the package and excitedly started unwrapping it. Inside was an intricately carved bow. There were little designs  
etched into the wood. Upon closer inspection, he found them to be little figures; warriors he guessed, fighting some unknown  
evil.

"Thanks so much DeeDee, I love it!"

Reaching into her bag once more, his aunt pulled out a cylindrical tube and handed it to Dom. "Here's the second half of your  
gift.

Opening up the tube, he discovered five, finely crafted arrows. Yelling in triumph, he hugged his aunt before running outside  
to play target practice.

Exasperated, Monica gave her sister a look before sending Derek outside to watch Dominiq.

After several more minutes of listening with rapt attention to her aunts stories of her travels, she began helping her mom  
clean the house.

An hour later, with the help of Deeliah and Scarlet, Monica had the house ceaned and decorated for the party. With two hours  
to go, she sent Scarlet outside to play with Dom while she and Deeliah got started on the food.

Scarlet ran outside and towards her brother.

"Hey Dom, wanna play hide and seek?"

"Nah, you always win at that game. Maybe we could play indians in the woods?"

"Pleeeeeaaaassee? It's my birthday. Besides, you're a really good hider too. I bet you a pound that I'll lose this game and  
you'll win." Scarlet grinned. She knew she had him now. He couldn't resist a bet.

"Fine. Two rounds and that's it." He huffed, "I'll start. You go hide." And with that, he closed his eyes and started  
counting.

Grinning again, Scarlet ran off to the opposite end of the yard, towards their garden, and hid in some big bushes. Giggling,  
she watched her brother finish counting and take off in the opposite direction she had gone. Making herself comfortable,  
she sat back against the garden wall, knowing full well that this would take a while.

After several silent minutes, her brother came around the side of the house and towards where she was hiding.

Getting onto her hands and knees so as to crouch lower, she closed her eyes and scrunched up her nose, willing herself to be  
as invisible as possible. Dom came right up to the bush and bent down, peering into the branches. Sure she'd been caught,  
Scar started to move when Dom got up and walked away, calling for her to come out. He gives up.

Waiting for him to go inside, she jumped up and ran inside dusting herself off.

"Where were you?!" Demanded Dominiq as Scarlet walked in. He was sitting at the dining room table with a glass of chocolate  
milk in his hands and a scowl on his face.

Slightly confused, Scarlet sat down across from her brother where a glass of chocolate milk was waiting for her.

"I was in that big bush by the garden wall. You looked right at me!"

"Liar! There wasn't anybody in the bush. You were moving around from spot to spot, weren't you!"

It wasn't a question. It was an accusation.

"Was not! I was hiding in that bush. You're just too stupid to have seen me!" Scarlet declared angrily.

"Children! That's quite enough. Scarlet, apologize to your brother, we don't call each other stupid. And Dominiq, apologize  
to your sister. Accusing her of switching spots without evidence isn't very nice." Their mother chided both of them.

Begrudgingly they apologized to each other, and withing five minutes were talking excitedly about the bouncy castle that was  
now being set up in the backyard for the party later.

Monica went back to the kitchen, but a moment later reappeared.

"Did either of you see where I put my apron? I left it on the counter just a moment ago."

Scarlet piped up, "Maybe the kitchen monster stole it."

"The kitchen monster?" Her mother raised an eyebrow at her, "and what would a kitchen monster need with my apron?"

"Why, so he could cook of course!" Scarlet busrt into giggles, nearly toppling her glass. "Oops. Maybe it's in the pantry  
hanging or something."

At that her mother walked back into the kicthen, and much to her surprise, saw the apron sitting on the counter where she  
had left it a moment prior. Rubbing her temple, she sighed and went back to work. A moment later, the phone rang.

"Hello? Oh, hi sweetie... What?! But they had it just last week! Miscounted orders?" She sighed deeply, "Okay, I'll tell her.  
She's going to be devastated you know. Okay, love you too." She hung up the wall phone with another sigh. "Scarlet honey,  
can you come here for a minute?"

Scarlet walked into the kitchen, depositing her empty glass in the sink. "Yes mum?"

"Scarlet darling.. The bakery.. They ran out of red velvet cakes, and it's too late for them to make one now and be ready in  
time for the party. So your father is going to get a chocolate cake. I'm so sorry sweetie."

"It's okay." She mumbled as her mom pulled her into a hug.

"Alright girls, time to come back inside! It's cake and present time!" Monica called all the girls in from outside.

Eagerly they come in and crowd around the table as Scarlet's dad brings in the cake. It's a beautiful, two tiered cake, with  
white cream cheese frosting and white roses dotting the surface.

Everyone sang happy birthday as they light the candles, and Scarlet blows them out.

"What did you wish for Scar?" Her friend Eliza questions.

"I'm not supposed to tell, or the wish won't come true." Scarlet stated, like it was common knowledge.

Derek cut into the cake and gasped, "It's red velvet! But..." He looked up at his wife, confusion plastered on his face,  
"They said they were out.. They said this was chocolate?"

Scarlet piped up, absolutely beaming, "Well they lied, and now I've got the cake I wanted!" Leaning toward her brother, she  
whispered in his ear, "This is exactly what I wished for. That the cake would be red velvet."


	4. Chapter 3- The Drawings

One of Scarlet's birthday presents had been an expensive set of drawings pencils and notepads. She had her mothers artistic talent, and would draw all sorts of extraordinary things.

Other than she was a good artist like her mum, there wasn't hardly anything extra special about her drawings and sketches.

Until one downcast morning, several days after her birthday, Scarlet was bored, and decided to go sit outside and sketch the wet earth.

Sitting on the back porch, she stared hard into the woods, trying to form the perfect image in her head. Once she had captured the image, she set the tip of the pencil on the paper, and began sketching. The picture forming flawlessly under her fingertips; smooth strokes and soft angles.

After about ten minutes or so, Scarlet looked back up at the woods. Something was rustling around in the undergrowth.

Excited, she stilled herself and held her breath, waiting for the animal to emerge. First a brown ear, then a spotted leg, then the whole body.

It was a baby deer. Brown and be speckled with white dots. Directly behind it, was its mother. Completely milk chocolate in color.

They stopped and stared at her, eyes wide with fear, before dropping their heads to nibble the grass.

Ecstatic, Scarlet watched as they gracefully moved around the edge of the woods.

Setting the tip of the pencil to the paper, she began adding the deer to her sketch.

A few minutes later, and she was done. She had successfully added the fawn and its mother to the middle of her sketch. Splashes of color lit the woods behind them, here and there, just as they did in real life.

She had perfectly captured the deer and the woods; the way the watery light slanted down through the trees and they way the shadows danced at their feet. It almost looked real, like a photograph.

Smiling, she held up the sketchpad to compare it to the real thing, but when she looked up, the deer were gone. Disappointed, she closed the notepad, packed up her pencils, and headed inside.

During dinner later that night, Scarlet was telling her parents about the deer she had seen and drawn.

"It was so beautiful mum. They just stood there and.." She paused, sighing. "When I went to compare my sketch, they were gone... Can I show you the picture?"

"Sure honey, but first finish your broccoli." Her mother said.

Grinning, Scarlet wolfed down the last bites of her broccoli before jumping up and running to grab her sketchpad.

Coming back in, she flipped through the pages until she found the one.

Her face fell and confusion rippled across it.

"What's wrong honey?" Her father asked, setting down his fork.

"The deer are gone!" She shoved the book under her fathers nose, "See? What happened?"

"Maybe you only thought that you had drawn them. Maybe you imagined seeing them walk out of the woods, and imagined drawing them, but in reality you hadn't." Monica suggested.

"But I didn't imagine it! I had really seen and drawn them.." Scarlet insisted.

"Well sweetheart," Derek handed her sketchpad back to her, "Drawings just don't come to life and leave the picture. That'd be absurd." He looked at his wife.

"Scarlet darling, your fathers right. Maybe tomorrow you can go back out and draw some deer, okay? Now put the book up and come finish your dinner."

And with that, the matter was closed.

Later in bed that night, Scarlet couldn't stop thinking about the drawing. She knew that she had really seen deer in the woods, and she knew that she had added them into her sketch.

So why then, were they not there?

Unable to sleep, she got out of bed and grabbed her sketchpad, sitting cross-legged on the floor. Maybe sketching something will help her sleep.

Flipping it open, she lands on the page of the woods she had drawn earlier that morning.

There, in the middle of the paper, were the two deer she had seen.

Open mouthed, she stared at the paper.

 _How?_ She asked herself, _They most definitely weren't there earlier._

As she stared at the baby deer, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation as to why they'd disappeared earlier, the baby deer lifted its head, and blinked at her.

Gasping, she flung the sketchpad across the room.

 _Did the deer really just move?_

Crawling towards the upside down book, she picked it up with trembling fingers.

The deer were gone.

Puzzled, she sat back down on her legs and stared hard at the picture.

A moment later, the baby deer walked into the picture, just as it had when she'd first seen it. And directly behind it, was its mother.

She sat there, mesmerized as the drawings moved about the picture, eating the penciled grass, and nibbling the graphite bark, before the baby looked up at her, blinked, and took off running to the left, its mother close behind. Then they were gone.

A moment later, the baby reappeared on the right again, and she watched them do it all over, as it were an old time movie of sorts that she had drawn.

That was the night that Scarlet discovered her drawings could come to life.

Squealing in delight, she grabbed her pencils, and set to work experimenting.

First, she drew a bunny in a grassy meadow. After a moment, the bunny came to life and hopped about the picture.

Next, she drew a mermaid sitting on a rocky coast, combing her hair. After a moment, the mermaid came to life, as did the waves splashing merrily about beneath her tail.

Delighted, Scarlet closed her sketchpad and got back into bed, suddenly very tired.

Falling asleep a moment later, she decided to keep her newfound secret to herself.


	5. Chapter 4- The Thing in The Woods

"Mum, I'm bored. Can we go to the park?"

It had been several weeks since Scarlet's birthday party and the night she discovered her magical drawing abilities. She had  
already become bored with her presents, most of which were mundane objects. Even drawing had become dull after so much  
experimination. Dom had spent most of the Fall break at his friends house and all of Scarlet's friends were out of town for  
the holidays. So she didn't have anyone to play with.

"I already told you Scarlet, I'm busy right now."

"But I'm boooored." Scarlet whined.

"No. We are not going to the park. Maybe you could use that chalk you got for your birthday? It's just collectiong dust in  
the coat closet. Or maybe go play in the woods. You could go clean up the treehouse your dad built you over the summer. You  
haven't touched that thing in awhile and you could clean the cobwebs. Now go outside and play, okay? Mommy's busy."

And with that her mom turned back to continue working on the report she was writing for work.

Huffing in exasperation, Scarlet turned and stalked out the back door towards the woods.

She didn't feel like cleaning out the treehouse. It was too humid and rainy for that. Which was highly abnormal for a  
November day. besides, she didn't know what kinds of bugs and spiders might have taken up residence in there. What was her  
mom thinking?

Scarlet shook her head and continued on farther into the woods; just walking without purpose.

It wasn't long before Scarlet realized that she was horribly and irrevocably lost. Turning around in circles, she scanned her  
surroundings and nothing looked familiar.

The sky, or what little she could see through the dense canopy above, was downcast and rainy. What little light that filtered  
down was watery and cast frightening shadows about that seemed to dance and mock Scarlet. Rain drops started slowly dripping  
down from the sky like slate gray paint on a canvas.

As Scarlet pushed forward through the evergrowing dense foliage, the woods became darker and creepier with every step. The  
silence of the forest was terrifying. Like the noises that made up the music of the woods suddenly knew that someone was  
encroaching on their territory. Like they knew that she was there and had paused their cacophonous noise and waited with  
bated breath. She felt as is she was somewhere she shouldn't be.

The rain started falling faster now and a cold gust of air made her skin prickle. Though she warmed again quickly, goosebumps  
stayed on her skin. She ran a hand over her arms and felt a peculiar feeling... she wasn't alone.

That's when she began hearing the whispers. At first she played it off as the wind whistling through the trees. Being deep in  
the woods, deeper than she's ever been, didn't help the creepy factor.

She listened harder as the whispers grew more pronounced; more human.

This was the kind of whispering you hear in the dead of night, when everything is silent save for the blood rushing in your  
ear. When you think you're all alone, but you're really not. The kind that sighs a soft, sinister melody as it wraps around  
you and murmurs things untold in your ear.

Holding her breath, she strained her ears and heard it again. This time, she heard a single word. Her name.

"Scarlet"

Goosebumps crawled up and down her arms as she glanced around warily. It was just the wind in the trees. Their branches  
scratching against each other is what caused the whispering sound, Scarlet tried to reassure herself. Hearing her name  
was just her paranoid mind shouting things into the void. There was nobody out in the woods, she was all alone.

And that's when it hit her; she was all alone.

Spinning around in circles again, Scarlet strained her eyes for any sign of civilization.

Scanning the ever growing darkness of the brush, her eyes swept over two yellow orbs hung low to the ground.

Looking back at the orbs, she first thought them to be torches. Someone had found her!

"Hullo! Help, I'm over here!" She called out, waving her arms and walking towards the lights as they blinked.

Scarlet stopped midstep, another cry for help dying in her throat, her hands still raised above her head.

Torches don't blink.

Taking a step back, the yellow orbs, which were actually eyes, blinked once more before slowly moving up. The thing that they  
belonged to was standing up out of the bush it was hiding behind.

A tall burly looking figure, standing around six foot tall, was towering above Scarlet. The viscious looking figure had  
long, matted gray hair; long, cracked yellow fingernails; a flurry of black whiskers adorned his face like a Christmas tree of  
horror.

A low, bestial growl emminated from his mouth, showing off sharp fangs dripping in saliva.

He grinned as Scarlet drew in a sharp gasp and took a few steps back, tripping and falling onto her butt.

The figure crouched low, getting ready to spring.

A pristine blanket of mushrooms layered the ground around him. Suddenly, from deep in the woods, a blood-curdling scream  
shattered the silence of the indigo night.

The boy looked up startled and glanced at his mom.

"Mum, what was that?"

He looked around terrfied before he locked eyes with his little sister and his twin brother.

Momentarily the young boy was relieved before a burning question pushed it's way to the front of his thoughts, glaring  
red and angry at him.

Who had screamed? Were they okay?

"Come on kids, lets get back home. We have enough mushrooms for dinner." The woman grabbed the little girls hand before  
gesturing to the two young boys.

"But mum-" The slightly taller of the two glanced between his mom and the direction of the wood where the scream originated  
from.

"Let's go, now!" His mom barked, grabbing his brothers hand and reaching for his.

Just then another scream pierced the air; and this time, it was much closer.

That's when they could hear the thudding footsteps, softened by the now harder rain fall. Someone was being chased, and by  
the sound of the intense crashing around in the underbrush, the thing that was doing the chasing was huge. And it was gaining.

The little girl buried her head in her mums apron, sobbing and gripping onto it tight.

Suddenly a young girl, soaked to the bone and covered in mud, burst out of the tree line. Upon seeing the family, her already  
tear streaked and fear stricken face burst into a moment of hope.

"HELP!" She screamed. For just mere yards behind the young girl a beast of a man came crashing out of the woods. Running on  
all fours like some kind of wild animal. Murder gleaming in his bright yellow eyes.

The children surrounding the mom had no clue what the thing was, but the mother did. In a moment of no hesitation, the lady  
grabbed onto the Scarlet and pulled her close, gripping her and her children tightly before suddenly disappearing. And  
not a moment too soon.

As they vanished, the man reached out a clawed hand and tried to grip onto Scarlet's leg, but barely missed. Scratching her  
leg and tearing her pants before they were gone.

Howling in frustration, the man beat the ground where they had been standing before suddenly taking off in the direction  
from which he came.

Scarlet gripped tightly onto the woman, closing her eyes, knowing the end was near. A searing pain erupted down her leg before  
the next thing she knew everything went black; she was pressed very hard from all directions; she could not breathe,  
there were iron bands tightening around her chest; her eyeballs were being forced back into her head but at the same time they  
were bulging from her head; her ear-drums were being pushed deeper and deeper into her skull before violently popping.

Was this what it was like to die?

But just as suddenly as it had started, it was over.

Scarlet heared worried voices all speaking over one another, blending together in a cacophony of noise sludge. The woman said  
something to the voices and that's when Scarlet looked up. Her eyes fell upon a slap together building that wasn't there  
before. Her eyes roaming up the slanted walls, and crooked windows. It was beautiful. In a weird, sort of thrift store kind  
of way. If that makes sense.

Scarlet realized that she wasn't making much sense.

Suddenly, she felt incredibly woozy and lightheaded before her vision turned to black and she slumped to the soggy ground.

In her sleep, Scarlet kept leaping back and forth from being chased in the woods, to meeting that woman and her kids in the  
clearing.

She had feverish induced night terrors and would wake up in a groggy state before being lulled back to sleep by a soft,  
soothing humming.

On one of the occassions she heard hushed voices talking around her. She wasn't able to make out a lot.

"Who do you think she is? I bet she's-"

"Look at her hair! Mum, do you reckon she's a Weasley?" A voice to her right asked.

"Aw come on, you really think that mum would come across someone-"

A Weasley? What's that, a disease?

"Nah, she's probably a muggle who got lost in the woods and stumbled across a werewolf and.."

A muggle?

"That's enough! There are no werewolves around these parts." A womans voice rose above the others, immediately silencing them.  
"It was just a muggle man who had clearly lost his marbles and was hiding out in the woods hoping to catch a kid unaware and  
scare the living daylights out of them. The muggle holiday Halloween was not too long ago. Probably just trying to keep living  
the sick thrill of that night."

Werewolf? Those don't exist.

"Do you think she'll be alright dear?" The woman spoke up again.

"I believe she will. She was merely scratched by the beast and from the looks of it you did a fine job at patching her up.  
She'll only have a scar to remember this night by." A man's voice replied.

"Man muggles are sure messed up. I remember one time-"

"Bill!"

Shortly after that, Scarlet sunk back into a feverish abyss.

The next occassion where she woke up screaming, Scarlet looked around and realized that she was not in the woods and  
she was no longer being chased by the man-beast.

She was in an armchair, a pink, worn out knitted blanket was wrapped around her and a fire was blazing in the fire place,  
instantly warming her chills.

She looked down to discover that she was no longer wearing her own clothes, but a knitted jumper with the letter F emblazoned  
on the front and black slacks.

Sitting up she looked around the room some more and found it to be full of many an odd knick-knack. Shelves with odd  
contraptions, shelves overwhelmed with books, arm chairs worn thin but comfy looking nonetheless, moving pictures hanging  
haphazardly on the walls- wait, moving pictures?

Scarlet stared at the photographs adorning the living room wall. The wall had a mix of paintings and photos. In some of the  
photos, a rather large family dominated the frames. They must be the family that lived here, for she recognized the woman who  
saved her. The people in the photos would look up at the camera and smile.

But how?

Scarlet's attention was drawn to the couch and away from the moving pictures as someone stirred and sat up.

One of the boys she had seen in the clearing, who had been sleeping on the couch, was now sitting up and staring at her,  
wiping the sleep from his eyes.

The boy smiled at her before standing up.

Scarlet shrank back into the armchair, suddenly aware that she didn't know these people, regardless of the fact that they had  
saved her.

"I promise I won't hurt you. Would you like something to drink or eat? You must be famished after all that running."

That's when Scarlet noticed the ache in her stomach. She nodded at the boy and he ran off to the kitchen.

As the boy came back with a sandwich and a glass of water, a figure descended the steps.

When they stepped into the living room, Scarlet thought she was seeing double but quickly realized that they were actually  
twins. The only major difference was the one who was bringing her food was slightly taller than the other.

"Here you go."

Scarlet wolfed down the sandwich so fast it made the two boys giggle.

Looking up at the sheepishly, she thrust out her hand the the taller of the two.

"Names Scarlet."

Instead of taking her hand, the boy bowed.

"Fred Weasley. And this here is my brother George."

As she went to shake George's hand, the mother came down the stairs.

"Boys! I hope you two aren't badgering the poor girl. She's been through enough already without you two pestering her."

The lady came to stand in front of Scarlet, placing a hand on her forehead.

"Well, it doesn't seem that you're running a fever." She pulled up Scarlets pant leg to reveal a bandage wrapped around her  
calf. Unwrapping it Scarlet saw that she had a nasty cut running the length of her calf- from ankle to the back of her knee.

So that's what the pain had been.

"The name's Molly dear, and yours?"

"Scarlet."

"Well Scarlet, are you feeling any better?" Scarlet nodded, "That's good. I bet you're probably ready to go home now, aren't  
you?" Molly was cheery, as if the events from earlier that night hadn't happened.

Scarlet nodded again.

"Alright boys say- Ginny! What're you doing out of bed?"

The sharp outburst caused Scarlet to jump as she glanced at the staircase.

The little girl who had been in the clearing was standing halfway down the steps, trying unsucsessfully to hide herself in the  
shadows.

Yelping, she turned tail and bolted back upstairs, a door slamming shut in the distance.

Turning back to Scarlet, Molly smiled warmly. "Are you ready?"

Ready for what? Scarlet wondered.

Molly then pulled out a stick from her robe and pointed it at Scarlet.

"Obliviate."

Scarlet was awoken by voices calling her name.

Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes, tyring to rub away the pounding headache that throbbed behind them.

Looking around, she noticed that she was laying in her treehouse, mostly dry and muddy. She had no memory of how she got in  
her treehouse. The last thing she remembered was getting lost in the woods and stumbling across something with yellow eyes..

No, they weren't eyes, they were torches. Somebody must've found her and she had fainted from fright.

But that still doesn't explain how she ended up in her treehouse?

"Scarlet!"

Her father's voice rang out in the woods.

Scrambling out of the treehouse and down the ladder, she ran into her fathers arms.

"Oh babygirl where have you been? Your mother and I have been worried sick! You were gone all night, lost in the storm."

He pulled back and looked at her now tear streaked face.

"Are you hurt at all?" She shook her head. "Why didn't you come home when it started raining?"

"I got lost in the woods and couldn't find my way back. It was pouring and pouring.." She paused, "And the I found my  
treehouse and I knew I would be safe there until it stopped raining. I guess I fell asleep." She lied.

What else was she supposed to say? That she got lost in the woods and the next thing she remembers is waking up in her  
treehouse?

That was all kinds of crazy, even for Scarlet's standards.

"Well lets get you home and get you cleaned up and get some food into your belly."

And so they headed home.

But as they walked back to the house, Scarlet couldn't help but feel as if she was being watched. But it wasn't a bad feeling.  
This was a good feeling. Like her guardian angel had come down to protect her and was watching her as she left the wood with  
her father.

After taking a hot bath and forcing down some food, for she found that she wasn't actually hungry, Scarlet went upstairs and  
collapsed into bed.

Hugging her pillow close, Scarlet closed her eyes and tried to sleep when a memory suddenly surfaced.

A young boy with bright red hair, not much unlike hers, bowing to her as he introdced himself, like she was some princess or  
something.

Scarlet smiled into her pillow as sleep overcame her.

He was kind of cute.


	6. Chapter 5- The Store

For two solid years Scarlet avoided the woods at all costs. After that night- waking up in her treehouse with no idea how she  
got there, constant nightmares of a rabid man-beast chasing her through the trees, and scant visions of red headed boys and  
moving paintings- she had vowed to never step foot into the woods again.

Not even in the middle of a bright summer day when Dom begged her to play in their treehouse with him.

She wasn't exactly sure why she had suddenly become so terrified of the woods. The nightmares were only just that, right?  
Nightmares? There were no such things as a rabid man-beast... Were there?

The most dangerous thing Scarlet had seen in the woods were snakes. On occasion she had heard howling late at night eminating  
from somewhere deep in the woods where no child dare venture. Not even Scarlet, as adventerous as she was.

The howling that had been heard she had always assumed it was wolves. Or maybe a neigborhood dog.

But deep down, she knew there was something wrong with the howls. They were too high-pitched. Almost, human like.

The morning after the mishap in the woods, Scarlet's mother had gone out onto the back porch to drink her morning tea, and upon  
reentering the house, found the back door to be covered with deep tooth and claw marks, and the window and side of the house  
were covered in blood and saliva. After calling animal control, Monica had talked to Derek in the kitchen, rather loudly,  
about how dangerous the woods really were and that Scarlet and Dom weren't allowed to play in them anymore. She added that her  
husband should look into getting a fence installed sometime soon.

Monica was convinced that there was a wolf running amuck in the woods and it had rabies.

"With the rewilding being such a success, I wouldn't write it off as total fiction yet. There could be wolves in our woods,  
and one or more could have rabies. Honey, think of the kids."

(So I did some research, and wolves went extinct in the UK awhile back, but there is currently a rewilding in process,  
meaning that scientists are going to take wolves from around Europe and incorporate them back into nature in and arounf the UK.  
So I took that idea, and made it happen 20 years earlier than it actually does.)

Derek's wife made a good point, and so to calm her down he suggested that she take the kids to the lolly shop on Main Street  
for a bit before she heads to work.

"I'll stay here and talk to the animal control guy, see what he has to say on the matter. Then I'll clean it up and see what I  
can do about the scratch marks."

Not entirely convinced that everything would be okay, Monica reluctantly agreed to take the kids into town.

"Dom have you ever seen so much candy in one place?!" Scarlet was speeding arond the candy store as if she were already on a  
sugar high.

"You guys can each choose two pieces of candy, plus an ice cream bowl to share."

"Look Scarlet," Dom shoved something into her face. "It's a chocolate frog. I wonder if it's really a chocolate covered frog.  
Y'know, like those chocolate covered crickets dad pretends he doesn't like." He laughed as their mom made a gagging face.

Scarlet took the frog from him.

"Maybe it is real and it's just waiting for the opportunity to jump out at you." And with that, she threw the frog at her moms  
face, laughing as her mom screamed.

"Scarlet Ava Lewis! That was not funny and definitely uncalled for. That is not how you behave in a store. Even if it is a  
candy store."

Scarlet and Dominiq giggled nonstop all the way home, eventually resulting in Monica confiscating the chocolate frogs both of  
them had chosen as a laugh.

"You can have these back after dinner. IF you behave. Dom I need you to go upstairs and put your laundry away. I won't ask  
again."

With Dom busy, Scarlet decided to head outside to play with her chalk.

After about an hour of mindless drawing, Scarlet realized that she had been drawing the same thing over and over again. A red  
haired boy and his red haired family.

That's it, she thought to herself. I'm going to sit out here everyday and wait for them to show up again. If I'm not allowed  
in the woods anymore, then this will have to do.

And for two years Scarlet did just that. Everyday for months Scarlet would go sit outside after lunch with a bucket of chalk  
and sit on the sidewalk- drawing magical pictures and waiting. Some days she would last longer than others; drawing so much  
that she would reach one end of the sidewalk and have to start down the other way. Other days she gave up after an hour or two.  
Especially during the summer when the sun would beat down extra hard. And some days she drew so much, that she had to  
use the hose to wash all the chalk away before starting over again.

And when the sidewalks filled with snow, she spent the days creating snow angels and building miniature armies of snowmen.

But Christmas and New Years had twice come and gone and still no sign of the family.

She had even snuck about ten yards into the woods one day, hoping she would hear them, but hastily ran out when she heard  
rustling in the trees.

One particularily cold day in mid-January, Scarlet's mom decided to take her and her brother into town to visit the antique  
store, lovingly named Dilly's Delirium, for the original shop owner was quite the mad man and would collect and sell just about  
anything.

Scarlet was ecstatic. She loved antique hunting.

Once at the store, Monica set some rules down.

"Alright guys, I know how much you love thrifting, but we need to stick together today. We won't be here long, I have work in  
a little bit. So stay close together, okay?"

Dom and Scarlet both agreed, although a bit reluctantly.

Even with her mothers warning to stay together echoing around her head, Scarlet ended up quickly losing her mom and brother.

Wandering between the aisles, admiring the beautiful objects old and new, something caught her eye.

Turning to the left, Scarlet saw something bright red disappear around the corner at the end of the aisle.

Excitement buzzed through her like a shot of Red Bull energy drink and a fuzzy memory dredged its way out of the depths of her  
mind.

A red haired family helping her in a moment of need, and a freckled-faced ginger boy bowing to her.

Without quite knowing why, she sprinted to the end of the aisle, turning sharply around the corner and stopping abruptly.  
There she found nothing. Just a blank concrete wall and another aisle to the left, which was empty. Looking back and forth  
between the two aisles, Scarlet felt an aching sadness clawing its way up her throat. She wanted to sit and cry, and she hadn't  
the faintest idea why.

Why was she so excited? Who was the family that she had dreamed about? She had never seen them before, not that she could  
remember anyhow. And what about the boy? The one she always pictured bowing to her, like she was a princess or something?

Feeling quite upset and unsettled, Scarlet turned around and headed back to the front of the store, eventually running into her  
mom and brother.

"There you are. What happened to staying close by?" Monica said, as she raised an eyebrow at Scarlet. She wasn't mad though.  
A small smile ghosted her lips. "Come on, let's go look at the jewelry section real quick before we go. Maybe we can find you  
something."

"Okay." Scarlet mumbled as they made their way to the front counter where the jewelry was.

Looking through the mounds of necklaces inlaid with semi-precious stones, and bracelets that shimmered with jewels, Scarlet  
spied an ornate necklace. The pendant was an old coin surrounded by gold filigree. It wasn't much bigger than a golfball.

Looking at it, Scarlet couldn't help but feel drawn to it. Like it was calling her somehow.

"Scar darling do you see anything you like?"

"I really like that necklace mum." She pointed to the coin. "How much is it?" She looked up at the cashier.

"Well little lady, for you I'd say five pounds. Does that sound reasonable?"

Scarlet looked at her mom.

"That sounds perfect, thank you. We'll take it."

"Thank you mum!" Scarlet hugged her mom tight.

The old man behind the counter chuckled as he pulled out the necklace and handed it to Scarlet.

"That coin right there is an American wheat penny from 1901."

"That's almost a hundred years old!" Scarlet gasped.

"Right you are. Just like me!" He winked before letting out a belly jiggling laugh. Scarlet and Dom laughed too.

"Dom do you want anything?" Monica asked as she pulled her coin purse out of her bag. He shook his head.

They paid and left the store.

On the way home, Scarlet couldn't help but deeply admire the necklace. It was gorgeous, but really simple.

Smiling, she put it on and thought about what she had seen- or rather what she hadn't seen at the store.

Had she really seen a shock of red hair? Or was it a flash of someone moving by the window outside? A trick of the light  
reflecting off an object nearby maybe?

It troubled her. Even though she didn't know why, but she wanted to see that boy and his family again. If they were even real.  
And if only for a moment.

Once home, Monica hastily went inside to change before heading out to work while Scarlet and Dominiq stayed outside.

While they'd been at the store, it had snowed quite a bit, covering the ground in a fresh layer of powdery snow.

"Wanna build a snow fort or something?" Scarlet asked, surveying the fresh snow before looking at her brother.

"Sure. We don't want all this beautiful snow to go to waste now do we?"

For two hours they played around in the snow, building snowmen, having a snowball fight, and building snow forts and igloos.

After awhile, Dom became too cold to continue.

"Hey Scar, I'm going to head inside now. I'm freezing and I want to watch some cartoons. You coming?"

"Nah, you go ahead. I'm going to work on my snow fort some more."

He just shrugged and headed inside, leaving Scarlet alone on the front lawn.

As she was adding another layer of packed snow to her fort, she heard the crunching of snow.

Someone was walking towards her.

"Did you decide to come back out? Are you ready for another snowball fight?"

The footsteps had stopped. After a moment of silence, Scarlet peered over the top of her fort and saw a familiar mop of red  
hair.

"Hiya Scarlet." Fred Weasley grinned.


	7. Chapter 6- The Secret

It had been nearly three months since Fred Weasley had returned.

Scarlet was ecstatic. They had spent most of that time together, hanging out in the woods, playing catch with Scar's dad, or kickball with Dom. It was the most fun she'd had in a long time.

One sunny Tuesday morning in April, Scarlet was outside waiting for Fred. He promised the day before that he would show her something.

It was a secret and she mustn't tell anybody.

Wondering what kind of secret it was, she looked around, quite anxious for him to show up.

This was how it was. He always came over to her house, but she could never go to his. He would always come up with a different excuse every time Scarlet would ask why. But she never minded. She liked having him over. He was her best friend.

What did bother her, was that his parents never drove him, he walked. Even though he said he lived some distance away, he still walked to and from her house every day. Once, Scarlet had tried to follow him, but he had rounded a corner and disappeared.

Shaken out of her thoughts by the sound of pounding feet behind her, Scarlet turned, and saw Fred running towards her, a big smile on his face. Scarlet grinned. A little ways behind him was George. He was never without his twin. Always together those two were. Scarlet didn't mind either. She liked George, and his family very much.

Running up to her, arms widespread, Fred hugged Scar. Picking her up and spinning her around.

"Ah! Fred!" Scar shrieked, giggling as he set her down. Smacking Fred on the arm, she hugged him back before George came up and hugged her from behind, creating a Scarlet sandwich.

"Haha I thought you two weren't coming for a moment. I was getting worried. You said ten, and it's ten fifteen." Scarlet crossed her arms and gave them a look. Lifting her eyebrows in question.

"Well Scarlet dear you see," Fred Started.

"We had to grab some.. Supplies for today." George finished.

"We are terribly sorry that we are late and that we made you worry." Fred grinned at her, "So, shall we go on to our fort then?"

Scar nodded.

Several weeks ago, on a dismal, rainy afternoon, Fred, George and Scarlet were bored out of their minds, laying in a circle on Scar's living room floor.

"We could play that mugg... That game- what was it? Oh yeah, Monopoly." George suggested, correcting himself. There was that strange word. Muggle. Scarlet didn't know what it was or what it meant, but she knew it wasn't bad. Whenever she asked about it, Fred and George just said that it was nothing.

"Nah. That game gets boring after awhile. And remember? You didn't like it." Scarlet reminded him.

"Oh yeah.."

They fell silent for a few minutes.

"How about we see if Dom wants to play kickball?" Fred voiced.

"Can't. He went over to his friends this morning." Scarlet sighed, "What are we to do then? Dom isn't home, Monopoly is boring, and it's gonna rain."

"How about you guys go build a fort in the woods?" Scar's dad walked into the living room, causing the kids to jump and quickly sit up.

"But dad, its gonna rain, and mom said she doesn't want us outside."

"Well, I say you can go outside, and you can go build a fort. I've got some old sheets," he held up a basket, "for you guys. This'll at least get you started. Boys, do you know how to use a hammer and nails at least?" He looked at the twins. They both nod. "Good. Now Scar can show you where the tool shed is. There might be some extra wood planks in there, you're welcome to use them. If you need help, just come ask me okay? Please be careful, and have fun." He handed the basket to Scarlet and walked out.

"Well, what do you guys say? Shall we go build a fort?" Scarlet turned to the boys, adventure shining bright in her eyes.

And with that, they set off into the woods with a wagon full of tools and wood; ready to build the best fort possible.

After finding the perfect spot in a clump of trees just a little ways from the old oak tree- the very same that Dom had fallen out of- they got to work. It was a slow and painful process, but little by little, they got it done and finished within a few short weeks.

Now, they were trekking through the woods, on their way to the fort. Once there, they climbed up and got settled.

"So, what did you guys want to tell me?" Scarlet asked, eager to hear what they had to say.

But they just chuckled, looking at each other and back at her. This frustrated her greatly, for she didn't like it when people kept secrets from her.

"Well are you guys gonna tell me or not?" Scarlet demanded, crossing her arms and huffing.

"All in due time Scar." Fred said, leaning back in his bean bag, crossing his arms behind his head and closing his eyes.

"I hate you."

Fred opened one eye just in time to see Scarlet stick out her tongue at him before looking away.

"You know you love me." Fred said, in a sing song voice, jumping up and tackling her, pinning her to the ground so she couldn't squirm away.

"Fred Weasley you let me go this instant!" Scar yelled, trying unsuccessfully to free herself.

"Not until you admit that you don't hate me."

"Never."

Fred grinned wickedly. Scar's eyes widened in fear.

"You've made your choice"

And with that, Fred started to tickle Scarlet, with George joining in. Soon the fort was filled with Scar's cheerful shrieking.

"I give up! I give up!" Scarlet gasped several minutes later, "I don't hate you Fred. Or you George."

The boys sit up, and Fred gets off her, holding out his hand and helping her up.

"That's more like it. Now," Fred paused dramatically, "it is time for the secret."

Scarlet's eyes light up. She sits down on her beanbag and the others follow suit.

"Okay Scarlet, listen up. This secret we are about to share with you, could get us into some serious trouble if anyone found out that we told you. Like, major major trouble." George said, suddenly quite serious. No joking smile on his face. This scared Scarlet just a little.

"Then why are you telling me?" Scarlet questioned, confused. If it was so bad that they would be in major trouble, then why bother telling her?

"Because," Fred said, "We like you and we know we can trust you."

This made Scarlet smile and feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside.

Taking a deep breath, and looking to his brother, Fred blurts it out.

"We're wizards."


	8. Chapter 7- The Storm

p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e34167346c461b1a262e706630001aa8""What?" Scarlet snorted, "Wizards? Haha you guys, that's funny. Best joke yet." Scar rolled her eyes. They were always making jokes and playing pranks on her. Or at least, trying to play pranks. They always seemed to backfire on them, or blow up in their faces. It was quite funny to see some of the things that they've come up with and made themselves. There had been talk of them owning a joke store some day./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="84bdb52dda8e07b1c84dba398f0f03bb""So what did you guys really have to tell me?" Scar questioned./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="3b192622fde123d35c398b9aaf7a5f17""That was what we wanted to tell you. We're wizards Scar." Fred insisted./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0bcc2bffeb3d2b79d46b7ebad86ff914""Sure you are."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="13ef35dbf035c50ec3974d5735de65e6""Look, we'll prove it." Fred stated, pulling something long from the bag he had been carrying. George did the same. In the dim light of the fort, Scarlet thought they were giants sticks of some sort./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="7ff5ed19cf7b969095673725a9bfa60f"Standing up and pulling aside the curtain, George walked out onto the landing, with Fred close behind him./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="3522be1fc9cd824ec33ed968bc886048"Standing up as well, Scarlet followed. Once outside, she noticed that the giant sticks were actually brooms./p  
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p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9c8fea39d00450443bd56b5a4af37631""For your information, we will be flying." George walked to the edge, and swung his leg over the broom./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e9c4638cf8603027d43a14ac9e6f0f37""Flying? People can't fly on brooms. You jump and you'll surely fall to your death. We're kinda high up."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="00ae7970aa645af778789decbc598e1a""Not to worry, Scarlet dear. We'll be just fine." Said Fred, walking up and standing next to her, "Just stand back and watch." He joined his brother at the edge./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a326df438a7434a9c05f84c747dd1850""Oh please don't jump." Scarlet begged, nervousness lacing her voice. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="47a13567b617ce783f8c371dee0e4ec1"Fred just turned and winked at her, before pushing off with his feet, plummeting down the side of the fort. George immediately following./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f8afef9e0a661ee2876aea5250a20553"Scarlet screamed and ran to the edge of the platform, throwing herself down and peering over the edge./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="5ce48d572bf478fadaba4add558eb762"She screamed again as she came face to face with a floating Fred. She teetered on her knees, before plunging forward over the edge, free falling towards the ground. Her screams of terror echoing through the woods, the wind rushing in her ears, and the trees whizzing by, blurred in her vision./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="5e266b4a221a9031cb1ebe9a181c9886"But just before she hit the ground, she's suddenly jerked upward, a pair of gangly arms wrapped around her torso. Looking up, she saw Fred's ghostly white face holding her, trying to heave her up onto his broom./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="fb77f1aadc66e575bf1ff3c342c1a88a"With a little help from George, Scarlet is finally sitting behind Fred, arms tightly wrapped around him, head laid on his back, eyes open wide. Floating in midair./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8a87331da0d41bf4f8679070fc176100""Scar are you okay? Oh my god I didn't mean to scare you. If I hadn't caught you in time.. You could've.. and.. All my fault.." He kept babbling, frightened out of his mind./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="40548c19b00318abedcbe3be69a2f6cf""I'm okay Fred." She squeezed him, "I just fell is all. And you did catch me. So don't fret about the what ifs." She paused, biting her lips, "We're really flying aren't we?" She looked over the side and down at the ground, some twenty feet below them. A rush of adrenaline coursed through her./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c4438f0fb3c9aa016ec01e0bf1bffe67""Yeah. We're really flying Scarlet. And we're really wizards." George flew up next to them, poking Scar in the side, "And you were wrong about people flying on brooms."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="1dd87351955ce07e2bea5d48cc578957"She giggled and opened her mouth to say something, when a huge clap of thunder boomed across the sky. She yelped, startled./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="568087a78b73bb3a4c8e21b02b976c1a""Maybe we should land." Fred said, as he directed the broom back to the fort. Soon, they were inside the fort, rain pounding heavily on the roof, and pouring down the sides./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ec808f2130360a440a3281afb0ce85cb""I can't believe I flew! That was amazing. Best day of my life! Wizards.. Wow, my best friends are wizards!" Scarlet squealed, "I can't believe you really are wizards! Tell me everything about your world." She looked at them with wide, bright eyes, "I want to know it all."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="1818b8f98abb07b236430f8811adc4dd"But before either of the boys can say anything, they hear someone shouting outside./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="764e7936f4fbeeca327d997e9b69ffcc""Scarlet? Fred, George? Where are you?!" Derek shouted through the storm./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c342b566786e3facc23c628bb1a73fac""We'll have to tell you another time Scar. Your dad is looking for us. Lets go." Fred stood up, helping Scarlet to her feet. "We'll leave the brooms here for now, and come back later."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="de66e72437ef000953a8e5a28381e1fa"They walk out, immediately drenched, and start down the ladder one by one. Once down, they run to Scar's dad./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="98a9eeaf96679668e436b696491be672""There you kids are. It's time to come in now. The storm is supposed to get worse. Boys, will your parents mind if you spend the night? They say the storm'll last all night." They look at each other, unsure, but nod just the same. Molly wouldn't want them walking back in this storm. Or flying./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b98449637cad1e04f082f2f3094a487d""Good. Now lets head back. Scar your mums worried out of her mind."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ce769e649aacd502cf85b8d8e553a074"And with that they start trekking back through the woods. After about ten minutes of sloshing through mud, they make it to the porch, where they strip their muddy shoes and extra layers of soaked clothing./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="deefc2d96ecf39f987537a4b4d92f384"Walking into the kitchen, they're immediately engulfed in a hug by Monica./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="19780bd3f58448ca36fa33029f9f00bd""Thank goodness you three are okay. When you didn't come home immediately after the storm started, I started to get really worried," she gazed at them and noticed that they were shivering, "oh my. You guys must be so cold. Go on upstairs and get changed. Fred, George you can borrow some of Dom's old things, they're laid out on his bed. Once you guys are finished, come back downstairs and I'll whip up some hot cocoa for you and turn on a movie." She smiled at them as they walked upstairs, water dripping from their clothes, making a little trail./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="33073335448a1ec5c0c379d823838b31"Once changed and seated in the living room, cuddled under blankets with mugs of steaming hot chocolate wrapped in their hands, Scar looked up at Fred./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="56292ae28cd947d6985fbd6b05fb4877""Thank you for saving me earlier."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="061bc5d3902000142fd4f58e34835171"He smiled down at her./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e129cd7d17fac452128b44e25dc0965a""You're welcome Scar." He planted a kiss on top of her head./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2cc991e747ff2e87dee5299b9d4349ad"Before Scarlet can say anything, the movie started. Turning back to the tv, she snuggled deeper into the blankets, her head on Fred's lap, and fell asleep./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="195fd5267f91c0c2785839e77c503766"Several hours later, Scarlet woke up, her head still in Fred's lap. The movie was long over. The living room dark. Outside, the storm still raged on. Lashing at the windows and pounding on the roof. Shrieking and screaming with all its might. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a98bf03ba916861c983356c602e083ad"Normally, Scarlet would've been scared, as much as she loved storms, but Fred and George were here. She felt very safe./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2fbdc26a213de9869ab8d0bcd72c30d2"Letting out a very content sigh, she curled up, and fell back asleep. Dreaming of flying wizards and magical beings. /p 


	9. Chapter 8- The Circus

The next morning, Scarlet woke up to find herself alone on the living room floor. Looking up at the clock, she saw that it was a little after 9:30am. After untangling herself from the blankets, she stood up stretching, and walked into the kitchen only to find Fred and George sitting at the kitchen counter talking to her mom.

"Morning sweetie." Her mom said, looking up from whatever it was she was cooking. "Would you like some birds in a nest?" ~~(For those of you who do not know, birds in a nest is a piece of bread with a hole in the middle. You toast it a little in a pan, and add an egg into the hole, and cook it to your liking. They're really good)~~

"Yes please. Thanks mum." She hopped onto the stool next to Fred.

"Morning gingersnap." He said, grinning at her.

"Good morning copper head." She grinned back. "So what do you want to do after breakfast you guys?"

"Woah woah woah. Hold up there ginger. We haven't eaten breakfast yet," Fred started, a mock expression of hurt on his face.

"So don't go asking the difficult questions yet." George finished, also with a mock expression of hurt.

Scarlet just rolled her eyes at them as she started eating.

Chuckling, her mother walked out of the kitchen to go wake up Dom.

After wolfing down her food, Scarlet turned to the twins, arms crossed.

"So, are you ready to discuss today's adventures, or are you going to be buttholes and take your sweet time?"

"My dear Scarlet, we would never dream of being buttholes towards you." Fred vowed mockingly, with a hand over his heart.

"Never in a million years." George agreed, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Whatever," Scarlet scoffed, standing up to take their plates to the sink to rinse them. Turning on the faucet, she was greeted with spurt of water shooting up and out. But instead of hitting her, it shot towards the boys, and hit them square in the face. She turned the sink off, laughing so hard that she dropped the plates.

"Why didn't you get hit?!" Fred spluttered, shaking water from his hair.

"Magic." Scarlet grinned, picking up the plates and setting them in the sink before walking out of the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" George called after her.

"Outside to draw. The clouds are really pretty after all the rain from last night."

Jumping up, the boys followed her.

After only an hour of drawing, Fred threw down the chalk he'd been using.

"Let's do something else please. I'm bored." He scowled at his lopsided drawing.

"You sure you're just not mad that you suck at drawing?" George asked his twin, sniggering.

"Shut up you git." Fred scowled even more, smacking his brother on the arm.

"You two are both gits." Scarlet announced. The boys protested.

"How about we go on a walk to the park to feed the ducks?" Scarlet suggested, standing up and dusting herself off.

The boys agreed, although a little reluctantly, and soon they were off to the park.

Once there, they saw that the park was pretty crowded, despite it being so big. So they decided to circle around the large pond that was situated in the middle of the park, and head for the smaller, more hidden ponds and creeks in the back.

"So, what did you guys think of the movie last night?" Scarlet asked, breaking off pieces of bread and throwing it to the turtles and ducks.

"I thought it was pretty cool. E.T. looked like Ron when he wakes up in the morning." Fred snorted, throwing a piece of bread and hitting a duck square in the face.

"Nah. That's just how he always looks." George corrected.

They all fell into fits of laughter. Wiping the tears out of her eyes, Scarlet looked up across the creek.

Floating through the air, was a strangely haunting song. Intrigued, she stood up entranced and walked to the very edge of the creek, the tips of her shoes barely touching the water.

"Scarlet!"

She snapped out of her reverie and found that she had waded into the water, hand outstretched as if she were trying to touch something not there.

Fred and George ran up to her and helped pull her out.

"What did you go and do that for?" Fred questioned, worry evident in his eyes.

"I don't know. I heard the most beautiful melody and had to find out where it was coming from. It was so haunting." She shuddered. "Didn't you guys hear it?" She looked at them with wide eyes.

Fred looked at his brother, confusion and worry etched onto his face.

"We didn't hear anything Scar." He said softly. "There was no music."

"But there was. I heard it!" Scarlet insisted, looking back across the creek.

"How about we go check it out. Would that make you feel better?" George asked, looking at his brother.

He looked at Scarlet and nodded.

"We can do that if you'd like."

She nodded and turned to find a way to cross.

After fruitless searching, Scarlet just about gave up, when she happened across a low part of the creek; weeping willows graced the waters edge- shadows dancing to and fro- and rocks jutted out here and there, making a pathway to the other side.

"Look guys, I found a spot!" Scarlet exclaimed, clambering down the bank.

"Damn it." Fred muttered, following after her.

"Come one guys, we don't have all day." She called back.

Sighing, the twins followed her across the creek and up the bank. Cresting the top, they saw to their utter amazement an old time carnival at the bottom of the hill.

"Bloody hell." Scarlet murmured, staring in awe at the spectacle below her. "I knew I heard carnival music!"

"Okay, I'll give you that. But what in the bloody hell is a carnival doing hidden back here?" Fred wondered incredulous, "They must be nutters."

"I don't know, nor do I particularly care. I want to go down and investigate." Scarlet began to move down the hill.

"Wait!" Fred grabbed her arm. "It could be dangerous. Come on Scar, think. I know you're smart enough to be cautious about this. Think; why is a carnival all the way back here, hidden? Not a very good way to advertise or make money." He cautioned.

"Fred's right. It could be dangerous. Lets head back to your house and get your mum and dad okay? We'll ask them what they think." George recommended.

"Alright," Scarlet amended, "we'll go back and talk to my parents." She crossed her arms and glowered at the twins.

Fred rolled his eyes at her and they went back they way they had come, and headed home to talk to her parents.

"A carnival behind the park? There are no carnivals coming to town that I know of." Scarlet's mother said. When they had gotten home, Scarlet decided to ask her mother about it, since her mother worked for the mayor. Secretary or something like that. Scarlet wasn't sure exactly what her mother did, and didn't rightly care.

"But we saw it Mrs. Lewis." George insisted.

"Maybe it was a last minute thing and someone forgot to inform you?" Scarlet suggested, standing up to get some water.

"No. Everything that happens here in town, event-wise, I would know about it. It all comes through to me to get approved. Whether it be an artist wishing to showcase their art in an art exhibition, or some singer wishing to do a concert here, it all comes to me. I'm officially in charge of the event happenings here in town. And there are no carnivals whatsoever scheduled to be here this week, or in the near future. Nothing even close to a carnival."

"Maybe they thought they contacted you?" Scarlet mused. "Or maybe they're in the wrong town. They could simply be lost."

"Well whatever the case, when your father gets home, we'll all go check it out together. You kids could enjoy a little carnival fun while I find a manager or someone to talk to and figure out what's going on. Okay?" Monica decided.

The kids all agreed, and decided to watch a movie while they waited for Scarlet's father to get back.

"A mystery carnival you say?" Scarlet's father asked, incredulous. "We must go immediately and check it out!"

They hadn't had to wait long, before Derek got home from work.

On the way to the park, Scarlet's father continuously asked questions about the 'mystery carnival'.

"How big was it?"

"It was pretty big Mr. Lewis." George said.

"Were there any rides? How about outside attractions?" Derek questioned eagerly.

"Da-a-ad," Scarlet rolled her eyes, "We didn't get to see much. We were too far away."

"Derek honey, leave the kids alone. You'll get to see it for yourself in a moment." His wife chided him.

Rounding the corner, Scarlet gasped in astonishment. The carnival was in the middle of the park!

"B-but how?" Scar stuttered, mouth agape.

"There's no way they could've moved everything from back there, to the middle of the park in such a short time. We weren't gone even an hour." Fred mused.

Shrugging her shoulders, Scarlet skipped ahead, looking this way and that. Admiring the bright sounds and sparkling colors the carnies were wearing. Splattered throughout the grounds were food vendors- selling hot dogs, corndogs, pretzels, funnel cakes, and cotton candy. Here and there, were smaller tents, with large blinking signs outside displaying the contents inside; a bearded lady, a two-headed snake, a mermaid, the strongest man alive, etc. There were also a few tents selling souvenirs, here and there.

"Okay everyone, I'm going to go see if I can find whoever is in charge around here. Derek," Monica turned towards her husband, "watch the kids okay? You guys can walk around and play some games until I'm done."

Everyone nods, and she's off.

"Alright kids, where should we go first?" Derek questioned, eagerly looking around.

"Hall of mirrors?" George suggested, pointing towards a brightly colored tent to their left.

"They have a hall of mirrors?!" Derek shouted excitedly, before running off into the tent.

Laughing because her father was acting like a child, Scarlet gestured to the twins and followed her dad into the tent.

Ducking under the tent flap, Scarlet was immediately engulfed the gloomy light of a dozen mirrors. Making her way around the room, she quickly became lost in the maze of eternity. The walls around her stretching on and on and on. She looked behind her, hoping to see either Fred or George, but neither of them were there. So on she travelled through the seemingly endless world of reflections.

"Dad? Fred? George?" Scarlet called out, as did her reflections, making it seem as thought there were a silent echo. "Anybody there?!"

No answer.

Scarlet pushed ahead and after what felt like an eternity, finally emerged from the hall. Upon exiting, she was immediately blinded by the brilliant sun, and had to squint her eyes until they were adjusted to the daylight again.

She turned back around and peered into the opening of the exit, hoping to see if Fred or George were behind her. But all she saw was glittering darkness.

Scarlet looked around her, "Dad?"

She didn't see her father or the twins, so she sat down and decided to wait. Thinking that maybe they were still inside somewhere. But after about ten minutes or so, Scarlet got bored and decided to walk around for a while; maybe they had somehow gotten out before her and started looking for her elsewhere?

Wondering around the old time carnival, Scarlet marveled at the sights and the sounds; at the brightly colored carnies all around her.

Weaving in and out of tents and vendors, she searched for her father and the twins, but to no avail. Sighing, Scarlet was about to give up, when she came upon a deserted looking part of the carnival near the very back in an alleyway. There were no brightly flashing signs advertising the contents inside the tents, there were no open food vendor carts selling enticingly delicious food, there was trash littering the grassless ground, and there were no other people in sight.

At the very back of the alley, nestled behind the tents and hidden from view, was a small, dark green tent. An old wooden sign on the outside read The Bleeding Dragon: Madame T's Curio Shop and Fortune Telling. From the entrance overhang hung many wind chimes made from various objects and what looked to be animal feet of various origins. Drifting through the opening of the tent was the haunting melody that Scarlet had heard earlier.

Intrigued and not the slightest bit afraid, Scarlet entered the tent. Immediately Scarlet's nose was filled with the burning scent of herbs and incense. The inside of the tent was dark, gloomy, and cluttered with many oddities and objects and furniture. So much so, that it was hard to tell where one aisle started and ended, and what was what, because it all blended together in a cacophony of witchcraft and magic.

Scarlet starts to wander the shop; eyes hungrily taking in the eerie objects and oddities. The shelves and walls are filled with a wide array of things; clusters of dried herbs, mummified animals- some she recognized, like a monkey, and some she didn't- skulls of all sizes, hundreds of different colored candles, some with symbols carved into them, straw dolls full of pins and needles, stacks of tarot cards, bottles big and small filled with different colored liquid, and some of them had body parts in them. There were crystal balls, and dozens of lovely pieces of jewelry. Everything you would expect to see in a voodoo shop could be found here.

Coming to the end of the aisle against the left side of the tent, Scarlet was examining a brilliant emerald necklace, when she heard a raspy, gravelly voice speak up from behind her.

"Hello there darling, may I help you?"

Turning, Scarlet comes face to face with a wizened, old lady, hunched over slightly as if from years of hard labor. Draped upon her body were layers and layers of colorful shawls and scarves and beads. Her arms and hands were adorned with so many bracelets and rings, it was hard to tell where the jewelry began and where her arm ended. Upon her nose were large, round spectacles, which made her already giant, orb like eyes magnified; which she used to peer up at Scarlet. Scarlet shivered; it felt like the voodoo woman was staring into her very soul.

"No thank you, I'm just looking." Scarlet replied.

The old lady nodded her head, and stood there watching Scarlet with her orb like eyes as Scar moved about the tent some more.

As Scarlet progresses farther back into the tent, the objects around her seemed to grow darker with malice and purpose. Towards the back of the tent, Scarlet came upon a table covered entirely in jewelry; necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, head ware, a crown or two. There was a sign on the wall behind the table that warned customers that some of the items in the shop and on the table, were possibly cursed, haunted, or sinister.

Shuddering, Scarlet started to browse through the items on the table, when she came upon a little, dark green velvet, drawstring bag with gold trim. Embroidered in silver thread on the front in curly font, were the initials TMR. Intrigued, she picked up the bag, opened it, and poured the contents into her hand. Inside were hundreds of tiny, milky white pearls. They were cool, and silky smooth in her hands, and they seemed to be alive and buzzing with energy. These are perfect for jewelry making! Scarlet thought, as she put the pearls back and searched for a price tag.

"I'll sell those to you for the price, of a secret." Wheezed the voodoo woman from behind Scarlet.

Scar turned to the woman confused as to why this old hag would sell her a bag of precious pearls, for the price of a simple secret. Mulling it over for a minute, she finally agreed.

"What kind of secret do you want?" Scarlet asked, wondering if this old lady was insane.

Instead of answering her, the old voodoo woman just cackled and moved towards Scarlet, placing her forefinger and middle finger on Scar's forehead, and the tip of her thumb at the to of the bridge of her nose, she tilted Scarlet's head back.

"Hmm.. Let's see.." The old lady mused, eyes closed in concentration. "Which secret shall I choose? Hmm.. No. No, that one's not ripe enough yet. Hmm.. Ahaa! How about this one my dear? Your love for the boy." She laughed a deep, throaty laugh. "Yes, that'll do quite nicely." And as the woman extracted her hand from Scarlet's forehead, a silvery, wispy substance seemed to be trailing off the old hags fingers, as if it had come from Scar's forehead.

"W-which secret did you take?" Scarlet spluttered, flabbergasted at this woman. "W-what?" Scarlet wasn't entirely sure what was going on, for she suddenly felt very disoriented.

The old hag just cackled and wheezed, "We will be seeing each other quite soon my dear."

The room started spinning a hundred miles an hour. But as soon as the spinning had started, it stopped. Dizzy beyond belief, Scarlet gazed at the old hag, who was as still as a statue; staring off into the space between Scarlet's eyes. A mist had started to seep up from the ground and swirled around her feet; green in color.

The voodoo woman's eyes were glazed over, and her mouth was slightly agape.

Suddenly, a horrible, ear piercing screech filled the room.

Startled, Scarlet screamed, which seemed to cause to old lady to stir somewhat.

Then, the woman began speaking.

Her voice was low and menacing. A dark, sinister feel came about the room, and the temperature dropped suddenly, causing gooseflesh to raise on Scarlet's arm.

"When the day comes that the white serpent reveals his true self,

A skull bone shall mark a country's doom.

The one who makes the still come to life,

Shall open the eternal tomb."

Here the old woman stopped speaking, and started violently shaking. But that only lasted a few seconds before she seemed to snap back to her usual self. Blinking rapidly, the woman stared at a terrified Scarlet.

"Why are you still here, my dear? Did you not get everything you wanted?"

"N-No. I-I'm good, th-thanks." Scarlet stuttered, before nodding her head and bolting out of the tent. When she was a safe distance away, Scar looked back. Nothing. The tent was gone, as was the little alleyway. Just a wall of food vendors, and games.

Shaken out of her wits, and terrified to the core, Scarlet stumbled around the carnival in a daze, searching for her family and the twins.

 _What had happened in that tent? Why did the old woman go into that trance like state? And what was all that mumbo jumbo about snakes, tombs and doom?_

Scarlet wasn't sure what happened, and she didn't want to know.

After about twenty minutes of searching, she eventually found her father and the boys playing skee-ball near the front of the carnival.

"There you are Scarlet," Her dad said, looking up for a brief moment. "I was wondering where you wondered off to."

"Yeah, sorry. I-I got lost, and just took my time looking around." She forced a smile.

Fred looked at her questioningly, concern evident in his eyes.

Scarlet just shook her head and smiled wider.

Later that night, after they went home, Scarlet lay in bed thinking.

Her mother had not been able to find a manager, or someone important in charge, and the carnies played dumb. When asked, the people who manned the food stalls and the games, claimed that they were volunteers from the local church in the next town over. But when Scarlet's mom tried contacting the supposed 'church', the number was out of service. Monica had then given up and decided to confront the mayor about it when she went to work the next morning.

After dinner, Fred tried to get Scarlet to let him and George stay another night, but she wouldn't hear of it. He knew something was wrong, and that something had happened to her at the carnival, but Scar refused to tell him, and sent both the twins home.

Now, laying in bed, she wished she hadn't.

After what felt like hours of tossing and turning, Scarlet finally fell into a dreamless sleep.


	10. Chapter 9- Dom's Secret

The next morning, Scarlet awoke to the sound of birds twittering outside her window.

Putting on her favorite pair of overalls, she went downstairs to eat breakfast, all thoughts of yesterday forgotten for the moment.

It was a beautiful Saturday morning; Monica had already left for work, and Derek was sitting at the dining room table, sipping on coffee and reading the newspaper.

"Good morning dad." Scarlet said, as she popped toast into the toaster and sat down to wait.

"Good morning sweetheart." Derek smiled at her over his paper.

"Where's Dom?"

DING!

Scarlet got up to get her toast, topping it with peanut butter and honey.

"He left just a little while ago. Wanted to go play baseball with some of his buddies." Scarlet's dad replied, folding up the newspaper and stretching.

That's weird, Scarlet thought, Dom's baseball buddies are all out of town on vacation, except for Jake. And he absolutely sucks at baseball.

As Scarlet sat there munching her toast and pondering what her brother could be up to, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." Derek stood and answered the door.

"Scar, it's for you!"

Puzzled, she stood up, put her dish in the sink, and walked to the front door.

Standing on the stoop were the Weasley twins.

"Hiya Gingersnap." Fred grinned, "May we come in?"

"Of course you may. You're alway welcomed here boys." Scarlet's dad smiled, stepping back to let the boys in.

"Hey guys." Scarlet beamed, "Come on, I want to show you something."

She grabbed Fred's hand and dragged him upstairs to her room, with George following close behind.

"What's up Scar? You finally figured out how to read?" Fred often liked to tease her for her love of reading.

"Ha ha ha, very funny. At least I know how to read, unlike you." Scarlet stuck her tongue out at Fred.

Once up in her room, Scarlet pulled out her sketchbook and plopped down onto the floor. George sat next to her criss cross style and Fred sprawled out on his back in front of her, looking up at her face.

"You know, Scar, I pride myself in my ability to read."

"Yeah, Dr. Seuss books you git." Scarlet grinned innocently at Fred while he glared up at her.

"So are you going to show us whatever it was or not?" Fred demanded, peering upside down at Scarlet.

"If you'll be patient and stay still, I'll show you guys." Scar said, poking Fred's forehead. "Now sit up and sit next to George so I can sketch you guys. Yeah, like that. Okay, now George, wave please."

"But why?"

"Just do it you git."

"You're not very nice." George pouted.

"Yeah well, you're pushing my patience. Do you want me to show you something cool or not?" Scarlet demanded, one eyebrow raised.

"Don't you mean button?" Fred implored cheekily.

"Can it Weasel!"

"Ow!" Scar had flicked his nose.

"Now shut up and sit still or it's the eye next time." Scar threatened, waving the pencil in Fred's then Georges face.

"Okay okay, we surrender." Fred put his hands up mockingly.

"Thank you."

And with that, Scarlet started to sketch the twins.

Following the smooth curves of their knees with the tip of her pencil, gliding down the softness of their cheeks, and climbing up the roughness of their hair, Scarlet sat, immersed in capturing every detail she could. The dimple above Georges lip. The twinkle in Fred's eye as he smiled at her. The rough edges of their hands from years of prank development.

Finally, after about twenty minutes and many groans and complaints from the twins, Scarlet was done.

"And I present to you the drawing, 'Mes deux petites bites!'" Scarlet announced, showing the twins the sketch.

"Meh doo petty what?" George questioned, confused by Scarlet's title for the picture.

"It's French mon petit fromage. Don't worry about it." Scarlet replied, a wicked gleam in her eye.

"So-o-o, what's so special about the sketch? Other than that it's really good." Fred asked, studying the picture.

"Just keep watching."

"Watching? It's just a plain ol- AH!" Fred yelled in surprise, jumping back and knocking the sketchbook out of Scarlet's hands. "It-it... The picture.. Ge-George... He.." Fred stuttered, looking up at his twin brother, eyes wide. "Did you see that George? Your picture waved at me."

George rolled his eyes.

"Fred, the only pictures that move are special wizard ones. Not ones that a muggle drew in her sketchbook. No offense Scarlet."

"None taken."

George continued, "The picture didn't move, you just imagined it. Probably going senile. See?" He pointed down at the sketchbook, before yelping in surprise.

Pencil George had waved up from the paper.

"That's impossible!" George spluttered, before looking at Fred.

"I told you! I'm not crazy! Well," Fred said, when Scar gave him an eyebrow up. "Not that crazy anyway."

He turned to Scarlet.

"How did you do this? You're a muggle, not a wizard."

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me. I don't know though. One day I was out sketching the woods out back, when some deer came out to the edge. I added them into my drawing, and when I went to show my parents at dinner, the deer were simply gone. It was as if I'd never sketched them. Well later that night, I couldn't stop thinking about it. So I got my sketchbook out and looked at the picture again, and much to my surprise, there were the deer. I stared at the picture for a long time, and that's when I noticed the baby deer move. Slowly they came to life and moved about the picture, just as they had done when I was sketching them, then they ran off the the right. A moment later, they came back into the picture and it happened all over again, like a slide show of sorts." Scarlet explained, watching the twins awed faces.

"But- but how did none of your chalk drawings come to life then? All those hours you spent trying to teach me to draw, and not once did any of your drawings come to life."

"Well Fred, I learned that I could control whenever they came to life. If I thought hard enough, the picture would stay still. I couldn't risk anything with the chalk drawings. Too many people around. But yeah, this is what I wanted to show you guys!"

She fell silent for a moment, chewing her lip in thought.

"What's wrong Scar?" George asked.

"Well.. I've been thinking.. Could this mean that I'm a wizard?" She looked up at the twins pleadingly, longing to be one of them floating in her eyes. "I mean, no muggle could ever do something like this! Yes my mom can create beautiful art, but she can't make it come to life. Only a wizard can do that!"

Scar was getting excited now, her eyes lighting up with a fire that only burned when she talked about something she was passionate about. Like becoming a witch.

The twins looked at each other, before turning to Scarlet.

"We honestly don't know Scar. It could mean something, but it could also just be a coincidence." Fred reasoned.

"A coincidence? How can something like this be a 'coincidence?' Drawings don't just randomly come to life just because!" Scarlet was starting to get agitated. She thought the boys would be excited for her. Something like this could mean the possibility of her being a witch!

"Let's just forget about it all for a little while and go see what your brothers up too, okay?" Fred pleaded, placing his hand on her arm.

Sighing in defeat, Scarlet just nodded.

"Good, let's go find that git then!" George jumped up along with Fred, and they both pulled Scarlet to her feet.

"Any idea where he is?"

"Well, my dad said he went off to play baseball with some of his buddies earlier." Scarlet offered.

"Then to the park we go-o-o-o!" Fred sang, running out the bedroom door.

"Wait!" Scarlet followed and stopped at the landing, looking down at Fred a few steps below.

George came up behind her, "What's up?"

"The thing is, is all of his baseball buddies are on vacation right now, except for Jake. And he absolutely SUCKS at baseball. Only played because the others paid him in candy, sometimes cash."

Scarlet raised an eyebrow at Fred, "See what I'm getting at?"

Fred just stared blankly up at Scarlet.

"George?" She turned to him.

He shook his head.

"Bloody hell you two, sometimes you can be so smart one minute, and the next you're dumber than a stack of damn bricks." She rolled her eyes. "Dom lied to my dad about where he was going this morning. Which means he's hiding something. Which means?"

"That's it's our job to follow him and figure it out!" The twins shouted together.

"Correct! Now let's go find my brother."

After checking the local park for Dominique, the trio had decided to head into the village to find him.

Walking down the street, the sidewalks and cafes and quaint little shops were overflowing with weekend shoppers.

Scanning the area, George spots Dom exiting a flower shop, a bouquet of daisy's in his hand.

"There!"

Crouching in the alley between a coffee shop and drug store, the trio watched Dominique walk down the sidewalk a few stores before entering the candy shop.

"Well well well, what do you think is going on?" Fred asked, looking at Scarlet and George.

"Who knows, but let's keep watching and find out." Scarlet answered.

Several minutes later, he walked out again, this time a box of chocolates in his hands.

Turning around, he came back up the street, towards Scarlet and the twins.

"Shit! Back back back!" Scarlet hissed, shoving Fred and George further into the alley and behind a dumpster.

Peering around the corner, Scarlet watched as Dom walked past the alley. Thankfully he hadn't seen them.

Once he was out of sight, the three got up and walked to the opening of the alley, peering around the corner to make sure Dominique was far enough ahead for them to follow.

"Why do you think he went in there?"

Scarlet and the twins had followed Dominique to a small cafe on the outskirts of the village. He sat down at a table outside, put the flowers under his chair, and the chocolates across the way. Then he just sat there twiddling his thumbs and looking around nervously.

Several minutes went by, and a girl with shoulder length, chestnut brown hair, wearing a white sundress about the same age as Dom, entered the little cafe courtyard and strolled up to Dom. He stood up, hugged the girl, pulled out her seat like a gentleman, and sat down across from her.

The girl, who had a very freckled face and blue eyes, seemed kind of shy at first. As did Dominique.

They exchanged small talk for awhile, until Dom remembered he had the flowers. Reaching down, he picked them up and presented the daisy's to the girl. Her face lit up in a huge smile.

After that conversation seemed to flow pretty well for them. They were laughing and smiling and having a generally good time it seemed.

Twenty minutes went by, and Fred and George were growing more agitated.

"Can't we leave yet? We found out what his secret was. He went on a date, whoop de doo. Let's go." Fred whined, tugging Scarlets arm.

"No! I want to watch him a little longer. If you want to leave, be my guest."

Fred just huffed and didn't reply, grumbling under his breath.

"Look! She's getting up! Shhh!" Scarlet shushed him.

The young girl stood up, along with Dominique, flowers in hand.

They stood a moment, awkwardly, before she kissed Dom on the cheek and walked off.

Even after she was gone, Dom just stood there with a stupid smile on his face, before leaving for home.

Fred and George looked at Scarlet,

"Well, little Dommie has a girlfriend."


	11. Chapter 10- The Accident

Later that evening, Scarlet sat in her living room, bored out of her mind. The Weasley twins had parted ways with Scar not long after they had spied on Dom, and now she was alone and bored.

After an hour of attempting various activities; drawing, coloring, reading, jewelry making, even knitting. Nothing kept her entertained for long.

Sighing in boredom, Scarlet set down the bracelet she was working on, and got up to find Dominique.

Walking out back, she found him playing kickball against the side of the house.

"Hey Dom, wanna play hide and seek?"

"Nah, I just wanna play some kickball. Go color with some chalk or something." Dominique replied, getting his soccer ball and trotting off to go play by the garden wall.

Huffing, Scar crossed her arms and glared at Dom. Watching him kick his ball around. After a minute or so, Scarlet walked up to him.

"Please Dom? Can you at least play one round with me?" She begged, giving her brother puppy dog eyes.

"No! I don't want to play. You always win because you cheat. I don't play games with cheaters."

At that, he turned and continued to kick the ball against the garden wall.

Crossing her arms, Scar glared at the ball, wishing it would fly away into the trees so Dom would have to play with her then.

No sooner had she thought this, Dominique kicked the ball a little to hard, and it went sailing away into the woods and out of sight.

Laughing, Scarlet ran up to her brother.

"Will you play with me now Dom?"

"No. I'm going to go get my ball back." He stated, as he started to head into the woods.

"But mum says we can't go into the woods now. The bears and snakes and bobcats will be coming out now that is spring. If you don't come play with me, I'll go tell mum and dad."

But Dom didn't listen to her. He continued on into the woods, and soon disappeared.

Sighing in exasperation, Scar ran in after him, and was soon covered in shadows.

Forging ahead through the newly grown underbrush, she called out for her brother. Stopping and listening intently, she heard a faint shout in the distance.

Heading in that direction, she came upon an old, gnarled tree. It's trunk wide and filled with knots. Its roots long and twisting. She recognized it as the beginning of the old forest, where her and the twins had built their treehouse- now long forgotten.

Looking around, she called again to her brother, and looked up when she heard him shout from above her.

Gazing down at her from the topmost branches was Dominique.

"I saw my ball up here. It's over there, stuck on that big branch."

He pointed to a spot just over Scarlet.

"No Dom, don't do it! It's too far. You'll fall and hurt yourself!" Scar yelled, but to no avail. Dominique started to reach out for the ball, the branch quivering as he scooted forward inch by inch.

CRACK!

Scarlet screamed as the branch broke and Dominique fell some forty feet, landing with a sickening thud at her feet.

Sobbing uncontrollably, Scar dropped to the ground and picked up her brother, who wasn't breathing.

"No, please Dom, please wake up! Please don't leave me."

Holding her dead brother in her arms, she sat there and cried over his body.

Holding him close to her, something sharp dug into her arm.

Setting her brother down gently, she noticed the bracelet she had made him for Christmas.

She recalled what had happened that day.

It's Christmas morning and Scarlet couldn't wait to get downstairs and open presents.

Jumping out of bed, she ran to Dominique's room and jumped on his bed.

"Dom wake up wake up! It's Christmas!"

Sitting up, Dom rubbed the sleep from his eyes and grinned at Scarlet.

"Come on Dom lets go downstairs!"

Grabbing her brothers hand, Scar pulled him out of bed and downstairs into the drawing room.

Their Christmas tree was in the corner of the room, bursting with glowing lights and twinkling ornaments. The underneath of the tree was teeming with presents big and small.

Squealing with delight, Scarlet ran to the tree and started to sort out the gifts.

After several moments her parents walked in, coffees in hand and smiles on their faces.

"Looks like Santa was generous this year. I guess you two have been extra good." Their mother laughed.

Grinning, Scarlet looked up at her parents, waiting for the sign that she could open her gifts. After her father nodded, her and Dominique started to tear into their presents.

After a few happy hours of opening presents and exchanging gifts, her parents got up and went into the kitchen to start on breakfast. Once they were gone, Scarlet turned to her brother and pulled out a small wrapped gift from behind her back.

"Here Dom," she said, as she handed him the gift, "I made you something."

"Thanks Scar." He ripped open the present and scowled.

"What's this?" He demanded, as he pulled out a handmade bracelet, one of the stones painted a royal blue; his favorite color.

"I made you a bracelet... I even used your favorite color. Dark blue... I only painted the one, because the paint didn't want to stay on the beads... You don't like it do you?"

Scarlets lip started to quiver.

"Now don't you go crying Scar. Boys don't wear bracelets and you know it. Now come on, breakfast will be done soon."

He stood up pocketing the bracelet and holding out his hand.

Scowling at her brother, Scar pushed his hand away and stood up, heading into the kitchen to eat breakfast.

Scarlet shook her head.

These weren't her real memories. She'd only had the stones for a few days, and made Dom's bracelet yesterday evening.

It was true about the paint and stones. As hard as she had tried to paint them, it wasn't working. So only the one had been painted.

And as for Dom disliking the gift. Well.. That was true as well.

She thought that Dom had hated the bracelet, and yet here he was wearing it.

So why then, was she remembering something that didn't happen, so vividly as if it had?

Scar shuddered as goose flesh crawled up and down her arms.

She had made the bracelet yesterday, and painted it blue yesterday morning. That she knew for fact.

Except, the bracelet was no longer blue, but black and burnt looking.

Puzzled, Scar reached down to touch the bracelet, but stopped short when Dominique drew in a rattling breath and sat up gasping for a moment, looking around wildly before his eyes focused on Scarlet.

Crying out in joy and relief, Scarlet lunged forward and hugged Dominique hard. Clinging to him for dear life.

She pulled back and looked at her brother, tears streaming down her face.

"What happened? Why am I on the ground?" He paused as he looked up at the tree, a look of horror dawning on his face as he realized what had happened, "Did I fall from the top?" He asked, in a horrified whisper, eyes wide and scared.

Scarlet nodded. "You were trying to get your ball, when the branch broke and you fell. You weren't breathing and I thought for sure you were dead."

She hugged him again.

"Come on, let's go home. We can do a puzzle or something inside." Scarlet said, as she helped Dominique stand up.

"That sounds good Scar. Let's go home... And let's not tell mum and dad okay? I'm okay, so there's no need to worry them alright?"

"Alright Dom."

They walk in silence for a moment, hand in hand, before Scarlet spoke up, uncertainty laced her voice.

"Hey Dom.. I thought... Well I thought that you hated the bracelet?"

He looked at her puzzled, before comprehension dawned on his face.

"Oh that... Well.. I only pretended that I didn't like it."

"But why would you do that?"

"I don't know Scar. But I did like it, still do." He said, as he held up his hand to look at the bracelet, "Hey! What happened to it?! Why's it all black?"

"I don't know. But that's okay. I can make you another one if you like?"

She looked up at her brother, and he smiled down warmly at her, before enveloping her in a hug.

"I'd love that Scar. Thank you."

And with that, they walk out of the woods and inside.

Hey guys! Here's the next chapter! This one I had from my previous story, before I decided to redo the whole thing. I really like what I had going here, but the Christmas flashback didn't work with the timeline of when Scar got the beads she uses, (and I want to keep the timeline as consistent as possible) so I spur of the moment changed it up. I hope it works well, and that ya'll like it! If it doesn't make sense, please let me know! Thank you and enjoy!

P.S.

There was something important that I had to tell you guys, but for the life of me, I can't remember. Lol oh well!

Please please please let me know how you like it, if it makes sense, ect. Nobody is giving me any feedback and I'm kind of worried. Constructive criticism is welcomed!


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